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So I finally went back to a place that I could call « home »…

Tromsø, « the town » of northern Norway.

I am often asked why I like this place so much. Just because there is everything here that I love : indecently beautiful mountains but also a sea coast (which keeps me close enough to my natal Bretagne).

Also, people live there !!!!!! So, it is the North. But it is also a town, which basically means possibility to meet other human beings, access to culture (Tromso is a true dynamic city with festivals and events all year round), to organisations and even to bars (!), and which confirms that the grown-up version of me turned out to be a city animal…

End of october : before the snow

December and january or « when the sun doesnt rise »

If the sun doesn’t rise, it does not mean that there is no light at all (I guess this is different closer to the northern pole, like in Svalbard). From 10:00 to 14:00, we get the lights of an early morning which quickly turns into the lights of a late evening. Also, the snow is gentle enough to transform every shy light into something really bright.

 

From the hostel where I live, I see people come and go. As often during this year, I have this weird feeling that, most of the time, I am saying goodbye to people before I even had the time to really meet them. But still, I feel lucky to be surrounded by people from many cultures, travelling. I am the witness of the small stories of the hostel and sometimes part of it. It can be ‘oh’ so quiet, and then, for a few days, great matches occurs and the hostel can get filled with a suprising atmosphere.

« Have you seen the northern lights ? »

is the usual question I get before « Hi, what is your name ? ». I like to see the sparkles in their eyes when they talk about it and when their dreams became true! It is the main reason for almost all of the guests to have reached up here.

As I spent so long time here, for me, they are more a part of the winter in the north. I like their peaceful presence in the cold nights and I smile at them when they come and say hello.

Here are a few pictures.

If you want to know more about them and you understand french, I recommand this video which contains an historical part and scientifical explanations on auroras.

 

And the sun rised

The 21th of january at 11:15, we could see the sun rise again for a couple of minutes. We walked on top of a mountain to witness it ! The sky also took this bright blue color!

And this morning, 29th of january:

Music of the moment :

English version below.

Si j’ai une déclaration d’amour et un témoignage de gratitude à faire c’est bien envers les bibliothèques de chacune des petites ou grandes villes par lesquelles j’ai transité.

Chaque fois que je suis arrivée dans un lieu nouveau, mon premier réflexe a toujours été de me diriger vers la bibliothèque. Parce que je sais que je vais y trouver la plupart des informations dont j’ai besoin en débarquant: y-a-t-il un språkkafe (= café langue) dans la ville? Que se passe-t-il dans la ville en ce moment ? Qu’existe-t-il comme lieux par lesquels je puisse m’intégrer, sociabiliser? Qu’y a t-il comme associations?

Mais aussi simplement parce que je suis sure de pouvoir m’y poser, au chaud, aussi longtemps que de nécessité et en me sentant accueillie. Affublée d’un lourd backpack, ou simplement à la merci du froid, de la pluie, de l’attente, de l’ennui, j’ai toujours pu trouver dans les bibliothèques un refuge où personne ne questionnait ma présence, ne me jugeait.

Enfin, parce que justement, en ces lieux, toujours me suis-je sentie accueillie et inclue. Même lors de mes premières semaines en Suède, alors que mes mains pouvaient décompter les mots de mon vocabulaire suèdois, les bibliothécaires ont pris tout le temps de me laisser communiquer. Et cet accueil digne je l’ai par la suite toujours expérimenté.

Bibliotek, mina kärleks, tack. Tack för alt.

Bibliotek, min kjærlighet, takk. Tusen takk!

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There are places towards which I would like to express my deepest gratitude, the libraries of each of the small or large cities I have been to during my trip.

Each time I went to a new place, the first thing I did was to go to the library.

This, because I know that I find there almost all of the informations that I need for landing: is there a språkkafe (= linguistic café) organised by the library iself or another organisation, nearby ? What is happening in the town right now? Where could I go to integrate myself here, to socialize?

But also very simply because I am sure to find there a warm place to stay, as long as I need it. With my heavy backpack, lost in the cold, in the rain, in the boredom, I know that I can always find in libraries a shelter where no one is going to question the reason of my presence there, to judge me.

And finally because, specifically in those places, I am always feeling welcome and included. And this, believe me, when you are a foreigner, is not an everyday feeling. Even during my first weeks in Sweden, when my swedish vocabulary barely counted a few words, the librarians did take all the time to communicate with me in their language and to encourage me to do so. And this welcomy attitude, I found in every single library I went to in Sweden and Norway.

Bibliotekek, mina kärleks, tack. Tack för alt.

Bibliotek, min kjærlighet, takk. Tusen takk…

by SCEB

 

Pour les français, la meilleure manière de vous introduire à cet endroit si singulier qu’est le nord de la Suède est de vous inviter à lire (ou à écouter!) cet article du Monde diplomatique (toujours le monde diplo!…), qui donne, je trouve une intéressante vision d’ensemble des enjeux locaux. C’est ici:

Éleveurs de rennes contre mineurs

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I knew I wanted to go up north from the beginning. I was right. There, I found a part of what I had been looking for…

Lapland, and more generally northern Sweden (and northern Norway) has a specific history, I’d say a different culture also, and above all, incredible landscapes and nature.

Let me first introduce you to Katterjákk.

Katterjákk

 

And some hiking tips and photos:

Kungsleden

From Abisko to :

(…post to come)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music to listen at on top of a montain (sami music):

« Whatever happens, make sure to sled on the first of may. » Stein said. So we did. That was crasy.

One month of volunteering deep inside the forest with 40 sled dogs was a very specific experience. Very happy to have lived this, to have experiment what mushing is, to have met that loveable and unusual character that Stein is, to have lived so closely with those dogs. Just never again ;-).

 

Mood of that period :

 

I have to say a few words on this collective I volunteered with for 2 weeks.

Since if you are vegetarian or vegan and you want to learn to cook for 20 persons, if you are a group of bikers, motor-bikers travelling in the center of Sweden,  if you are curious of different forms of living in collectivity or just want a pause in the countryside, you might want to stop by for a few days / weeks in Lindsberg : http://www.lindsberg.org/

 

Mood of those weeks (I felt very sugar-privated ;-)) :

Early april. The uge lake close to Bålsta (stockholm « suburb ») was still completely frozen.